Sana Mir announces retirement from international cricket after representing Pakistan for 15 years

Sana Mir, who had been an integral part of Pakistan Women side for 15 years, called it a day on Saturday. Mir bid adieu to her cricketing career after representing Pakistan in 226 internationals. The 34-year-old donned the Pakistan jersey in 120 ODIs and 106 T20Is where she scalped 151 and 89 wickets respectively. Her last match for Pakistan Women was against Bangladesh in November 2019 before she was left out from the Women’s T20 World Cup squad.

Mir made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Karachi in December 2005 and went on to clinch the No.1 spot in ICC Women’s Rankings for ODI Bowlers in October 2018. With 151 ODI wickets, Mir is fourth in the all-time wicket-takers list. She gained many accolades through her career and was also named captain of Wisden’s women’s team of the decade

Mir also captained Pakistan in 137 matches from 2009 to 2017. After announcing her retirement, she extended her gratitude to the PCB for her 15-year-long association. She also thanked support staff, players and ground staff for their contribution in her career. Furthermore, she expressed gratitude towards her family and mentors who played a vital role in providing her with unconditional support.

“I want to extend my gratitude to the PCB for giving me an opportunity to serve my country for 15 years. It has been an absolute honour and privilege. I extend my gratitude to all the support staff, players, ground staff and everyone behind the scenes for their contribution in my career and development of women’s cricket,” said Mir in a statement issued by the PCB.

“I also want to thank my family and mentors who provided unconditional support that allowed me to fulfil my dreams of representing Pakistan at a global stage and would also like to thank my departmental team ZTBL for their support throughout my career. I look forward to continuing serving them if department cricket continues,” she added.

‘I feel it is the right time for me to move on’: Sana Mir

“Last few months have provided me with an opportunity to contemplate. I feel it is the right time for me to move on. I believe I have contributed to the best of my ability for my country and the sport.”

Mir also reflected on her cricketing journey and described vital moments of her career. She reminisced a jam-packed Lord’s in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 final. She touted tournaments like ICC Women’s Championship as game-changers for women’s cricket and said that such tournaments helped in teams to show their talent on the international stage.

“When I reflect on my debut, it gives me great satisfaction that I have been part of the process that has eventually resulted in a packed-to-capacity Lord’s for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 final, something that was further boosted by a record 87,000 spectators for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. These are great success stories for women’s cricket.”

“I would like to extend my gratitude to the ICC for its continuous support to women’s cricket. Tournaments like ICC Women’s Championship have been a real game-changer, especially for teams like Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka as they proved vital in helping us express our talent at the international level,” said Mir.